WSJ Publishes Inspiring Story From Israel Tennis Centers Alum for International Day of Sport for Development and Peace

New York, NY, April 6, 2017 (Newswire.com) - In celebration of the UN’s International Day of Sport for Development and Peace, the Wall Street Journal published an inspiring story written by ITC alum Fahoum Fahoum. http://www.israeltenniscenters.org/international-day-sport-development-peace/

The United Nations has set aside April 6 to recognize the positive influence that sport can have on the advancement of human rights, and social and economic development.

“Sport’s value as an instrument for development and peace is not measured by resolutions, appointments and meetings, but by what happens on the ground,” said the UN’s Office On Sport For Development and Peace. “This special day is a unique platform to highlight the many initiatives that run in every corner of the world.” 

One such corner that the ITC is especially proud of is the ITC’s Coexistence Program in which Arab and Jewish children are brought together on the court to play, to learn and to respect one another. As such, the ITC has been a leading proponent of this movement since opening its first center back in 1976. As Fahoum describes in his story, the ITC’s Coexistence Program was established by his parents at the Selma & Irving Ettenberg Israel Tennis Center in Haifa when he was just a small boy. It has grown to become an important centerpiece in the ITC’s social impact movement at all 14 centers.

“Athletics can be used to as a tool for tackling social issues – fighting obesity, empowering women, integrating refugees or promoting peace,’ said Fahoum. “Sports are more than mere games. They are essential to the healthy transformation of society.”

Today, tens of thousands of Jewish and Arab children have formed lasting bonds of friendship, all thanks to the ITC’s Coexistence Program. It is the quintessential example of what the International Day of Sport for Development and Peace is all about.

About the Israel Tennis Centers Foundation:

For 40 years the Israel Tennis Centers Foundation (ITC), a 501 (c) 3 not-for-profit organization, has  worked tirelessly through the medium of sport to enhance the development of Israeli youth. Since opening its first center in Ramat Hasharon in 1976, the ITC has helped over a half million children, many of whom come from outlying and underserved towns throughout Israel. The ITC’s 14 centers stretch from Kiryat Shmona on the Lebanese border in the North to Beer Sheva in the South. http://www.israeltenniscenters.org.

Contacts:

Jacqueline Glodstein
ITC Executive Vice President, Global Development
212-784-9201

Richard Weber
ITC Global Director of Marketing
212-784-9202  

Source: Israel Tennis Centers Foundation